1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a vehicle navigation system and method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a vehicle navigation system and method which are capable of modifying a navigation maneuver performed by a vehicle based on factors such as the navigation route of the vehicle, the present lane of a road in which the vehicle is traveling and the traffic condition of the road.
2. Background Information
In recent years, many vehicles include driver assistance features such as navigation systems. Conventional vehicle navigation systems are capable of calculating routes to planned destinations that could be entered, for example, by a user such as the driver of the vehicle. However, due to the limitations on global positioning systems (GPS) and the like, the navigation systems are incapable of precisely positioning a vehicle on a roadway. Thus, current navigation systems are incapable of precisely determining the lane in which a vehicle is traveling on a multi-lane highway. Furthermore, in urban areas having many high-rise buildings, GPS coverage may be temporarily lost while the vehicle is traveling between the buildings. Accordingly, these navigation systems may include “dead reckoning” features which receive information from, for example, a steering wheel position sensor, the vehicle speedometer, and gyroscopes on the vehicle, and perform interpolation algorithms based on this information to update the location of the vehicle while GPS signals are inaccurate or unavailable.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved vehicle navigation system.